There's less than a week left to get Cats and Crimes as a free e-book from Bookfunnel either here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozymysteryseptember/viw7z3gxs5 or here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/cleancozybooks/vqudav7vmv The way Bookfunnel works is that readers are offered free e-books of a certain genre, bundled together to suit the reader's taste. I signed up for two cozy mystery giveaways this month. Clicking on the link will get you a list of free cozies you can choose from. Cats and Crimes is the first of the Cats & Crimes Mysteries, and the second, Raining Cats and Cats, i ..read more

 Raining Cats and Cats, the second book of the Cats & Crimes series, released on June 19th. I wrote about it everywhere I could think of...except here. Not sure how I could forget my oldest networking tool, but I did. So just in case you missed it in all the other places, here's the way to get your copy, no matter which distributor you order from: https://books2read.com/u/mK7JAV The e-book and print version haven't yet linked on Amazon. I'm working on that...sigh ..read more

I spoke with a woman the other day about what we were reading. She told me about a book she'd bought because the author is local. "The story wasn't bad," she said, "but I don't think he had an editor. I had to force myself to finish because there were so many mistakes." I'm guessing she will never buy another book by that author. Mistakes happen. In the book I'm reading at the moment, a big-publisher, hardcover offering I bought in a bookstore, the author says that the rescue workers needed a place to "lie" the wounded woman down. That hurt my English teacher heart, but for the most part, we ..read more

 Honestly, there is that "Ho-hum" aspect to it after thirty-plus books. I enjoy the writing and the editing and the putting it all together, but as RAINING CATS AND CATS gets closer to being ready for the world to see, I have to start planning promotions and hyping my work. I'm not very good at that part. First, I simply can't lie and tell you it's the best book you'll ever read. Second, I get tired of trying to grab readers' attention when 30,000 other authors are doing the same thing, every month, all year, every year. I've tried all the things "they" tell you to do to sell books: ads ..read more

 The second book of the Cats & Crimes Mysteries is with the editor, so I had time to think about covers and such. Before I forget, we chose Esmeralda as the new cat's name, and we'll call her Esme for short. Thanks to all who made suggestions. Somewhere, I have the name of the person who suggested Esme, and she will get a free copy of the book when it's available. Now, the cover. Please tell me what you think, because I can ask for changes if something doesn't look right ..read more

 I'm working on Book #2 of the Cats & Crimes series, and I'd like your suggestions. Lorilee will adopt a new cat, one that went through Hurricane Ian and came out a mess. She's long-haired, white, and skinny as a rail. What should Lorilee name her newest pet-friend? I'll give a free e-book to the person who comes up with a name that makes me say, "That's it ..read more

 I try to blog monthly, and the "experts" advise blogging weekly. Yeah, right. No way is my life that exciting or my advice that critical to world peace. I will say that CATS AND CRIMES is doing well. I've had compliments on the cover and the characters, particularly the cats. If you're getting desperate for Christmas gifts and you have a mystery/cat lover on your list, buy it HERE. On the philosophical side, I've been considering why cozies are so popular. I think there are several reasons: they're funny, they're not scary, and, possibly most important, the bad person gets punished in ..read more

 The new book, Cats and Crimes, releases today in e-book and print formats at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple, and anywhere else I can think of. Here's the cover, because I'm sure I haven't shared it ever before now. (Sarcasm) BUY IT HERE Here's another review, in case you're still thinking about it: Cats and Crimes is the latest murder mystery by Maggie Pill. Enter “crazy cat lady” Lorilee Riley. She’s a retired social services worker, with eight special cats, who finds more than she bargained for in her bed of flowers one morning: a corpse. Reluctant to get involved at first, Lor ..read more

I found a better image online of my imagined version of Albert, a cat shaped like a soccer ball, but I couldn't reach the rights holder to get permission to use it, so here's my second choice. He's based on a combination of cats I've known, some large, some black, and some too lazy to move. Albert is huge. We've all seen a cat like him, one that looks more like a blimp than a pet. Albert's weight makes him lethargic, which creates a loser's circle: too heavy to move around much, the only exercise he enjoys is eating, overeating adds to his weight problem. Lorilee, the protagonist in Cats and ..read more

 Cat lovers hate to admit it, but there are cats who are just plain mean. I submit they have reasons for it, some of which we can figure out, some we can't.  My daughter adopted a cat in Bahrain that was a perfect example of meanness. Like Professor Higgins in Pygmalion, he hated everyone. The reason, she was told, was that he'd been kept in a box for the first few years of his life, and probably mistreated as well.  He was beautiful, much like the cat in the photo above, though he was a gray. My daughter was good to him, and he learned after a few months that he could move aro ..read more